Yemen’s under-17 team made a special case in the Arab Junior Championships, which is being held in Algeria, despite its failure to qualify for the final match.
Yemen was eliminated from the Arab Championship from the semi-finals, after losing 0-2 to Morocco in the last minutes, after a distinguished career in the previous 4 matches.
Despite the defeat, Yemen’s junior national team enjoyed great satisfaction from the fans, as well as sports critics, who confirmed that it represents the future of Yemeni football.
“Al-Ain Sports” contacted some critics to talk about the distinguished levels presented by the Yemeni national team in the Arab Junior Cup, and the reasons that led to the tournament’s farewell.
missed opportunities
Yemeni sports critic Samir Naji Sakhim considered that wasting opportunities and not mastering the final touch was a clear reason why the Yemeni team did not qualify for the final match.
Sakim said: “Yemen’s juniors repeated in the Morocco match the same mistakes that they made during their previous matches, namely wasting opportunities, which was the reason for the loss.”
He added, “In any case, we are proud of our team, its performance and skills, which it showed during the tournament stages,” describing the team’s march in the tournament as “wonderful.”
Sakhem called on the Yemeni Football Association and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to take care of this team, develop the capabilities of its players and take care of them, as they are an essential building block for building a strong first team.
The matter was confirmed by Yemeni sports journalist Jamil Abdel Hafez, who urged the technical staff of the team to add new names, especially in the offensive line, so that all the team’s lines were completed, after it missed the finish in the last third of the opponents’ stadium.
Abdel Hafez indicated that the junior team should continue accompanied by its distinguished coach, Muhammad Hassan Al-Badani, and prepare well for the Asian Nations Cup qualifiers in order to continue its honorable performance.
Stronge fatness
On the other hand, sports analyst Muhammad Al-Nashmi drew attention to another matter, which is the physical strength that the players of the national team must possess, in a post on his account on the social networking site “Facebook”.
Al-Nashmi wrote: “The talented young people of Yemen gave a great performance and a great heroism that makes us proud and proud of this great generation, the generation of happiness.”
He added: “We are proud of you, and you are heroes in our eyes. The most important goal of this tournament is to enter the Asian Cup, which requires improving technical matters and searching for new excellent players, especially at the front.”
Al-Nashmi suggested intensifying physical strengthening exercises, and finding a diet for the team, according to the directions of a nutritionist accompanied by the technical staff, in light of the physical superiority of the competing teams in the Arab Cup.
He concluded his speech by addressing the players of the national team: “We are proud of you and we will remain by your side. You are the best, the most beautiful and the most wonderful. The happiness team is a precious treasure that must be preserved.”
The Arab Cup for U-17 Juniors will be held in the Algerian city of Oran, where its competitions began on August 23, and end on September 8.